Out of the Chrysalis

We've been in painting mode for about a month, and just finished Monday. I wasn't taking pictures because the whole place looked it had been decorated by Miss Havisham--painters plastic draped here and there, much dust (no disintegrating wedding cake, however)!

With only a few minor painting items remaining, my belongings were moved back in on October 7 (big shout-out to Gentle Giant movers!) but the place is still a bit scrambled, so I'll post some "after" pictures when things are more squared away. In the meantime, at least one creature enjoyed the novelty. Mr. Bo is a big fan of cellophane, scotch tape and ribbon...and crumpled paper. As I was unpacking box after box, he made a comfortable nest in some old catalogs and magazines, and promptly fell asleep.

What you can see in these pictures is how the rooms look painted. This is my bedroom, and I can attest that the first night I slept in my own bed I don't think I moved a muscle all night it was so comfortable. The basement is a bit dungeon-like and I was ready to come up for air and light!

Here's the guest room. The actual color is considerably darker than it looks here.

There are still a few loose ends, one being the wallpaper at the top of the stairs. Because the door was reconfigured to put in the powder room, there isn't enough of the old wallpaper to cover the new space. I went in search of a solution, and there is one possible paper which, while not identical is very compatible...unless I decide to paper the entire hallway. We'll see.

The kitchen can now be seen in full glory. The paint color is closer to the second image.

Looking up at the ceiling, you can see how Laura, the color designer, managed the color, with one color on the walls, another on the lower surfaces of the soffits, a third on the boxed in flat areas, and a fourth (the trim color) on the crown molding. Again, the photo does not do it justice!

Finally, the living room, which has always been the show-stopper. When I bought the apartment it was painted an inappropriate bright yellow, and even that couldn't completely obscure the beauty of this room. Now I think it probably looks more wonderful than any time in perhaps 100 years. With the oriental rug and the chairs from Grandma McAdoo, it all comes together. In fact the upholstery on Grandma's chairs is a virtually perfect match with the walls. Again the paint has really brought out the beauty of the ceiling with one wall color, two ceiling colors, and some trim color interspersed. Just fantastic!